Seattle Wins Super Bowl XLVIII in Rout over Denver
February 3, 2014
The Seattle Seahawks won their first National Football League (NFL) championship in franchise history with a convincing 43-8 rout of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XVIII yesterday at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey. Denver quarterback Peyton Manning had set NFL records for touchdowns and total passing yards during the regular season, on his way to being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for a record fifth time. But the Seahawks, who lead the NFL in points and yards allowed, thoroughly dominated the game from start to finish and never let Manning and the Denver offense gain any momentum.
Most experts predicted a close game between the NFL’s best defense (Seattle) against the best offense (Denver). Instead, Seattle posted the fastest score in Supper Bowl history. Twelve seconds into the game, Seattle scored a safety on the first play from scrimmage, as the snap from center sailed over the head of Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and into the end zone. The Seahawks never looked back. They scored on offense, defense, and special teams, as wide receiver Percy Harvin ran back the second half kickoff for a touchdown. Seattle’s swift and physical defense kept Denver out of the end zone until the end of the 3rd quarter. Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith was named the MVP of the game. He returned a second-quarter interception 69 yards for a touchdown.
Seattle’s second-year quarterback Russell Wilson had a relatively easy time compared to Manning. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The Seattle offense didn’t turn the ball over, and Wilson was not sacked at all during the game.
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